Markets split sharply on Wednesday as lower oil prices eased inflation fears, but pressure on technology stocks, crypto assets and precious metals kept investors focused on risk. By midday June 24, the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded near 51,828, up about 163 points, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.11% to roughly 7,357.

Strategy (formerly known as MicroStrategy) is discovering that strengthening one part of its increasingly complex balance sheet can expose weaknesses elsewhere. The Bitcoin treasury company spent $1.5 billion in May repurchasing convertible notes, reducing its debt but also draining cash that investors viewed as a backstop for its preferred-stock dividends.